[Assam] Assam's terror victims demand justice

Tue Jun 29 19:33:40 PDT 2010

RS,

Ironically, the victim had to justify why the bullet was found close
to him!!  A victim is expected to remain silent irrespective of the
seriousness of offence against him, whereas strong voices of support
are heard for terrorists and anti-social elements.
KJD

On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 7:44 PM, Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com> wrote:
> KJD,
>
> I sense, there is a bigger picture here.
>
> There are these sections of people in Assam (and elsewhere) who are hell
> bent in somehow telling the rest of the world that peace in Assam will have
> to come only with the release of these 'leaders'.
>
> For them, the illusive sovereignty thang is gone. Now, all they can hope for
> is go for the next best thing, secure the release of these leaders, get as
> much as they possibily get from the GOI/GOA, and then declare victory.
>
> Assam (and India) will have to answer as to what lengths they are willing to
> bend backward in trying to placate these people charged with murder, and
> other high crimes. What is the value of peace arrived at with such such
> costs as throwing away some of the basic principles to the winds.
>
> I totally agree, the GOI/GOA should never negotiate with those who they
> consider terrorists. It sets a bad precedence. The GOI seems to lose its
> nerve evertime it is in this kind of situtaion - with Pakistan, and then
> again with the Afganistan (the Taliban).  This mindset of acquesing
>
> If the GOI/GOA is vaccilating at this juncture, one wonders why they even
> levelled charges against these ulfa, if they were not sure of their own
> strategy?
>
> In the present situation, I really do not blame the ULFA or its supporters.
> Anyone, in their situation would, of course, try to wring out the best deal,
> fan out ambassadors to showcase the ULFA in the best possible light, show
> readily admitted crimes (like Dhemaji) in palatable shades & hues, in
> essence, get the ULFA out of the mess they are in, and save face.
>
> Whom, I really blame, is the GOI, the PM, some of the Central montries, and
> GOA, the CM, and some intellectuals in Assam (who seem to have lost their
> bearings along the way).
>
> The PM is quoted as saying he doesn't mind if the leaders are released, the
> CM echoes that, and some other montri too. Sonia deftly avoids the whole
> dang thing - she ain't in government - but she will pass the requests on..
>
> Then the Home Montri asks who is going to be responsible if these guys take
> off. As that wasn't the answer the "Dilli Chalo" group was looking for, they
> termed it as a 'setback'. The CM, as usual seems stumped.
>
> These people want to solve this ulfa problem by trying to find an easy
> solution by some wishy-washy hand-wringing, feeble attempts? This is bad
> news. This problem ain't ever getting resolved.
>
> One must concede that the ULFA strategy seems much better coordinated, and
> possible more cohesive than that put forward by the GOI/GOA and their team.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 6:46 PM, kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> >>>>Just because some people may want that the law take it's own course, or
>> that
>> there be due process does in no way mean 'retribution'<<<<
>>
>> It seems perverse to believe that freeing prisoners held on criminal
>> charges can bring a sigh of relief to the climate of terrorism.
>>
>> It also appears that by playing the role " patron saint " or kindly
>> "big brother" to those hoodlums ,they are only exposing the state's
>> underbelly to charges of being far too tender.
>>
>> For the life of me, I haven't ever understood why any government in
>> India --- central or state --- should discuss or negotiate with any
>> Indian person or body of persons who openly declare the desire to
>> secede their region from the Indian nation.It foxes me to watch those
>> " patron saints of ULFA",when they strain their every nerve to profile
>> those barbarians in glorified terms.
>>
>> The patriotic sentiment would be that the only way to deal with the
>> likes of Miya Arabindo to prosecute them under the Indian Penal Code.
>> But, unbelievably, the " big brothers of ULFA " of
>> our state want them to be released from jail -- for the "healing
>> touch" presumably.
>>
>> KJD.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 11:38 AM, Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>But, I suppose (and in fact know), he does not seek retribution.
>> >
>> > Just because some people may want that the law take it's own course, or
>> that
>> > there be due process does in no way mean 'retribution'.
>> >
>> >>I thought it was a tricky question, because it is a human question, which
>> > is not a linear equation.
>> >
>> > Human question as coming from the victim's families or from these leaders
>> > being charged and jailed?
>> >
>> >>But I have seen people coming up strongly out of the morass of personal
>> > tragedies and therefore, I >have reasons to believe in the fortitude of
>> my
>> > fellow human beings.
>> >
>> > Sure, there are many examples of such people. But does due process,
>> charges,
>> > & prosecution listen to emotional feelings, and tailor these according to
>> > what some may want?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 9:29 AM, UTTAM BORTHAKUR <
>> uttamborthakur at yahoo.co.in
>> >> wrote:
>> >
>> >> XXXX Mandela and his group and for that matter their adversaries, when
>> it
>> >> dawned upon them that it did not serve to try to solve the racial
>> >> question through mindless suppression, had exhibited tremendous
>> foresight
>> >> in
>> >> arriving at a conciliation. Justice, in the context of history, may not
>> >> always mean retribution, which is used as a deterrent in the usual
>> course.
>> >>
>> >> It is very hard for an individual to come to terms with the fact that
>> you
>> >> have to live amiably with the killers of your near or dear ones. In my
>> life
>> >> time, I have met some persons, who were led away by mob frenzy or an
>> idea/
>> >> concept to hurt or even to try to kill me, coming back to me and
>> repenting
>> >> on the realisation that what they had believed in was not correct. What
>> do
>> >> I
>> >> do with these persons than to forgive them, because, they acted on a
>> false
>> >> belief but acted with conviction and in good faith. But can I condone
>> >> those,
>> >> who acted on vested interest, while they killed or tried to kill my
>> >> brothers
>> >> for personal gains while they mouthed love for a cause to shield their
>> >> culpable acts?
>> >>
>> >> I have lost quite a few of my closest friends like Amitabh Rabha,
>> Sourabh
>> >> Bora, Nripen Dutta, Kamala Gogoi...... to the bullets of ULFA. Some of
>> them
>> >> were simply butchered surpassing all kinds of cruelty. Dr. Debabrata
>> Sarma,
>> >> a brilliant person and great organiser, who was pumped with
>> >> bullets, has been contributing to the growth and consolidation of
>>  Assamese
>> >> Language and Vernacular Schools whole-time. He's no less a fighter for
>> the
>> >> cause of Assam than any ULFA cadre weilding a gun in the jungles. In
>> fact
>> >> the ones who pumped bullets into him had within no time meekly
>> surrendered
>> >> to the love of the lucre. But, I suppose (and in fact know), he does not
>> >> seek retribution. May be he is a learned man; he can look at life with a
>> >> broader perspective that we cannot expect from the person, who was
>> widowed
>> >> by an ULFA bullet at the discretion of a local unit leader, may be for
>> such
>> >> petty reason as not paying up a sum of money. Who can console her? But I
>> >> have seen people coming up strongly out of the morass of personal
>> tragedies
>> >> and therefore, I have reasons to believe in the fortitude of my fellow
>> >> human
>> >> beings.
>> >>
>> >> I thought it was a tricky question, because it is a human question,
>> which
>> >> is
>> >> not a linear equation.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> *Chan Mahanta* cmahanta at gmail.com
>> >> <assam%
>> >>
>> 40assamnet.org?Subject=Re%3A%20%5BAssam%5D%20Assam%27s%20terror%20victims%20demand%20justice&In-Reply-To=%3C7A230391-E972-41B3-98CB-7EA0B24BBE28%40gmail.com%3E<http://40assamnet.org/?Subject=Re%3A%20%5BAssam%5D%20Assam%27s%20terror%20victims%20demand%20justice&In-Reply-To=%3C7A230391-E972-41B3-98CB-7EA0B24BBE28%40gmail.com%3E>
>> <
>> http://40assamnet.org/?Subject=Re%3A%20%5BAssam%5D%20Assam%27s%20terror%20victims%20demand%20justice&In-Reply-To=%3C7A230391-E972-41B3-98CB-7EA0B24BBE28%40gmail.com%3E
>> >
>>  >> >
>> >> *Tue Jun 29 19:14:50 IST 2010*
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>   - Previous message: [Assam] Assam's terror victims demand justice
>> >>   <
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>> >>   - *Messages sorted by:* [ date
>> >> ]<
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>> >> >
>> >> [
>> >>   thread ]<
>> >>
>> http://assamnet.org/pipermail/assam_assamnet.org/2010-June/thread.html#26221
>> >> >
>> >> [
>> >>   subject ]<
>> >>
>> http://assamnet.org/pipermail/assam_assamnet.org/2010-June/subject.html#26221
>> >> >
>> >> [
>> >>   author ]<
>> >>
>> http://assamnet.org/pipermail/assam_assamnet.org/2010-June/author.html#26221
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> ------------------------------
>> >>
>> >> I can understand the demands of the victims of the war and their kin,
>> >> for justice. It is not unreasonable or unnatural.
>> >>
>> >> What is unnatural and one-sided is the pretension of a segment of the
>> >> population and
>> >> of the media that the only victims of the violence in the conflict are
>> >> those that are  perpetrated  by ULFA
>> >> or attributed to them, rightly or falsely. They conveniently overlook
>> >> the fact that the conflict  was born of
>> >> acts of commission and omission by the AUTHORITIES, the STATE, who,
>> >> incidentally are not aliens from
>> >> outer space.
>> >>
>> >> Therefore, IF there is even a modicum of sincerity or integrity among
>> >> these partisans  seeking
>> >> JUSTICE today on behalf  of the victims , they would seek EQUAL
>> >> JUSTICE on behalf of those other victims
>> >> as well, whom they have conveniently shut out of their field of
>> >> vision, like some members of our own forum.
>> >>
>> >> That would open up a whole new slew of perpetrators, not just ULFA
>> >> rank and file and leadership, but also
>> >> Indian and Assam government officials, military and police rank and
>> >> file and officials and even members
>> >> of the public, who in cahoots with these officials, directly or
>> >> indirectly have been instrumental to the killing, maiming,
>> >> incarceration and anguish to thousands upon thousands of the people of
>> >> Assam.
>> >>
>> >> Had there been even a semblance of JUSTICE or a functioning system of
>> >> justice that could have been trusted
>> >> to deliver it , expected of a free and democratic state as some
>> >> laughably claim operates in India, then the whole conflict
>> >> would never have evolved into the armed conflict it did. And only the
>> >> seriously vision impaired or the blatant propaganda
>> >> artists would claim that it exists even today.
>> >>
>> >> Having said that, I would argue that, if anyone is serious about truly
>> >> extinguishing the embers of this conflict,
>> >> the people of Assam must demand and receive a full accounting of the
>> >> crimes committed, not just by ULFA,
>> >> but by Indians and the people of Assam and their leaders who conducted
>> >> the conflict.
>> >>
>> >> The only way of accomplishing that in a conflict like this that is
>> >> known to man and that holds the promise of some
>> >> success would be in the lines of what South Africa did in the
>> >> aftermath of their struggles for freedom: A Truth and
>> >> Conciliation Commission, under the auspices of and conducted by a
>> >> mutually acceptable international
>> >> tribunal.
>> >>  _______________________________________________
>> >> assam mailing list
>> >> assam at assamnet.org
>> >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>> >>
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>>
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